HUMAN Honors Community Project by

TRAFFICKING
Cayla Dietz
 WHAT IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING?

• The Department of Homeland Security defines human trafficking as “The use of force,
fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act.”
• Millions of men, women, and children of various ages and races are trafficked every year
around the world
• Some ways that victims are trafficked include violence, manipulation, false job
advertisements, romantic relationships via online, and kidnapping
• Human traffickers look for victims with psychological vulnerability, lower class, lack of
parental supervision
 CASES IN NORTHEAST OHIO

• Seventeen men were arrested in August 2022 for seeking to have sexual relations with
minors
• There was a statewide human trafficking bust in August 2022 throughout the state of
Ohio including the arrest of 55 people attempting to solicit people for sexual intercourse
with 21 of those people soliciting minors
 WHERE OHIO STANDS

o -As of June 2022, Ohio ranks fifth in

the nation for human trafficking
o -98% of human trafficking victims
in Ohio were white females between
the ages of 21 and 29
o -majority of human trafficking cases
in Ohio are sex trafficking
o -Columbus is in the top ten worst
cities in Ohio for human trafficking
 CASE STUDY

• A qualitative, collective case study was conducted with 23 healthcare staff such as
medical assistants and NPs, who provided sexual and reproductive healthcare between
fall 2018 and spring 2020
• This study explored the circumstances of human trafficking identification and how to
identify the signs of trafficking with patients
• Results showed that healthcare staff picked up on verbal and physical signs of
trafficking victims such as patients appearing nervous or a female patient appearing
with a “controlling” male figure
• Signs such as frequent STIs, bruising, and tattoos were less relevant when identifying
victims
• In conclusion, there should be training among healthcare workers to quickly identify
human trafficking victims
 “RED FLAGS” THAT HEALTHCARE
WORKERS SHOULD WATCH FOR

• The case study highlighted “red flags” that healthcare workers should watch for
when it comes to human trafficking:
• STIs
• Multiple pregnancies/abortions
• Multiple sexual partners
• Frequent injuries
• Signs of abuse
• Tattoos/branding with multiple numbers or names
• Nervousness
• Male figure present who seems controlling
 CASE STUDY PARTICIPANTS

• The case study used NPs, physicians, and medical assistants directly associated with patient
care. They all had previously taken a sex trafficking training course. The majority consisted of
white, female participants.
• Interviews with each participant ranged from 35-90 minutes and questions aimed at awareness,
screening challenges when asking patients questions, and relevance of trafficking red flags.
• The findings suggested that certain red flags like a domineering man with the female patient
were consistent with trafficking but others like STIs or multiple sexual partners were only
relevant in certain conditions. Red flags like tattoos and bruising were not really relevant.
• The most relevant trafficking indicator found by this study is when an older male accompanies
a female patients and answers all the questions and seems controlling.
• The study also concluded that healthcare providers focus more on stereotypical signs of human
trafficking when observing patients (typically a female acting afraid or nervous)
 CASE STUDY CONCLUSION

• This study concludes that all healthcare providers should be aware of all red flags of
human trafficking
• All staff should be trained in how to assess each situation and how to respond to a
possible trafficking situation
• Mock interviews can be done with training to enhance situational awareness and the
importance of reporting something you see
• Multiple lives can be saved if human trafficking victims are caught while in a
healthcare environment
 HOW TO REPORT

• To report human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking outlie at

888-373-7888
• To report suspected human trafficking with an anonymous tip: 866-347-2423
• 911 can also be called if emergent
 SOURCES

• Meltzer, E. (2022, June 16). Human trafficking statistics in ohio: Past, present and future. Etactics.
https://etactics.com/blog/human-trafficking-statistics-ohio#How-Ohio-Stacks-Up.
• Pederson, A., Gerassi, L. (2021, August 8).. Healthcare providers’ perspectives on the relevance and utility
of recommended sex trafficking indicators: A qualitative study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 78, 458-470.
DOI: 10. 1111/jan.15019.
• Seventeen men arrested in latest human trafficking sting. The Vindicator.
https://www.vindy.com/news/latest-news/2022/08/seventeen-men-arrested-in-latest-human-trafficking-sting/.
• What is human trafficking?. Blue Campaign.
https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/what-human-trafficking#:~:text=Human%20trafficking%20involves%2
0the%20use,here%20in%20the%20United%20States
.
• Williams, A. (2022, August 22). ’Operation time’s up’: 56 arrested in Ohio human trafficking bust. 19 News.
https://www.cleveland19.com/2022/08/22/56-arrested-statewide-human-trafficking-bust-ohio-attorney-genera
l-says/
.